


nobody sees what we see, they're just hopelessly gazing

by jimothykirk



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Fireworks, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 16:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5633320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimothykirk/pseuds/jimothykirk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim & his best friend Arsh see the fireworks in London on New Years Eve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nobody sees what we see, they're just hopelessly gazing

"Bro, this crowd is awful." Tim told Arsh, tugging his hand. He was pulling him through Abingdon Street between hundreds of people in their own little worlds, ready to capture anything festive and bright at camera click speeds.

"Yeah bro, sorry that plan to break into the Clock Tower failed. Who knew there'd be _actual_ guards stopping people from doing that?" Arsh asked, lightly nudging strangers aside as he followed Tim.

" _Duh_ , of course there would be. In retrospect, it was a really bad idea." Tim replied, eyeing the crowd for a path to carve. He suddenly felt his arm being pulled back; Arsh had stopped moving. Tim turned around to face his offended friend.

"Bad idea?!?! _How on earth was it a_ -" Arsh paused to collect himself, raising a hand between them. "Okay I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, because in about a couple of minutes... I'll have had a year to get over it." Arsh grinned hugely, raising his eyebrows as he awaited a laugh. Tim only stared at him blankly, wondering how his best friend could betray him like this. He rolled his eyes and turned back around to keep walking, Arsh's hand still in his.

"Let's hope your godawful humour doesn't follow you next year." He shuffled past a few more strangers, observed the dense crowd, and acknowledged the futility of passing through at this point. With a frustrated noise, he let go of Arsh's hand.

"Screw it, this is as close as we'll get anyways." Tim complained before a line of drunk adults passing by doing the Macarena pushed him onto Arsh.

"Nah.” Arsh said, smiling as he looked down at his flustered Tim. “I feel like we could definitely be closer." With deliberate movements, Tim untangled himself, and stood up straight, scrutinizing the look on Arsh's face. He stood by Arsh, hesitating before he wordlessly took his hand again. He looked around once more, eyeing the crowd around the Thames, and deciding they should be able to see the fireworks from here.

"Is this an okay view for you?" Tim asked, tiptoeing in an attempt to see slightly above the sea of strangers around them. Arsh looked at him. _Of all the people here with company, I’m the luckiest_ , he thought as he tried to memorize the way Tim's expression was the most mesmerizing yet adorable thing. He mentally slapped himself as he remembered he forgot not to stare at the way Tim's eyelashes framed his gorgeous eyes. He was about to reply, "best seat in the house" when he realized Tim wasn’t actually listening.  

“James and I would watch the fireworks every year.” Tim continued. He looked tense, and he probably was, Arsh suspected, feeling by the tight grip of Tim’s hand around his. “He used to go with me because he thought I was scared of them, _or something_. I always told him that I was really dragging him along to get a better view on his shoulders.” Tim stopped talking when he realized Arsh had let go of his hand.

Arsh had turned to face him, and his hands were found adjusting the scarf around Tim’s neck.

“You look cold. You okay?” Arsh asked, wearing a serious expression; something Tim didn't see often.

“What?” Tim asked, gulping. Standing inches apart, Arsh could see him do so, which wasn’t helping his case. Tim reasoned that from this distance, it was no surprise that Arsh's concern rubbed off on him. _Obviously._

“I mean,” Arsh laughed lightly, shaking his head and his worry away - for Time's sake. “Is this an okay view for you?” Tim froze. He found himself staring at, no, _observing_ Arsh’s face. From the slightly tousled hair under his beanie, to the pink coloration of his cheeks that he decided could only be a result of the cold. His eyes traveled further down his face. ... _Best seat in the house,_ is what he _felt_ like saying, except Arsh was doing that _thing_ again. That _thing_ where he asks things that mean more than they mean but doesn’t look at him directly because he knows it intimidates him. To a stranger, Arsh would’ve seemed distracted, but Tim knew Arsh was always incredibly patient. He was now, as he absentmindedly twirled loose strings from the edge of his scarf. Tim’s face reddened and he felt his heartbeat quicken.

“It’s winter, of course I’m cold.” He attempted. His chest was _not_ feeling warmer than usual with Arsh standing so close, and there were definitely _not_ butterflies in his stomach when he admired, no, _watched_ the way the streetlight danced on Arsh’s calming face. Those reactions were just body telling him how cold he was, _obviously._

Arsh nodded like he believed him, but carefully wrapped Tim’s scarf around his neck a second time, for good measure. He paused before also removing his beanie and delicately placing it on Tim’s head. Arsh couldn’t have noticed the way Tim automatically leaned into the touch, the same way Tim couldn’t have noticed the way Arsh’s hands lingered. After moving the hair away from Tim’s face, Arsh shook his head and combed a hand through his hair. Tim’s heart did _not_ skip a beat, that was a stranger stepping on his foot. Honest.

Tim asked if Arsh would get cold, but neither of them heard him when an announcement nearby interrupted them both.

“20 SECONDS!” Loud hollers and cheers followed from everyone around. Arsh leaned closer to Tim’s ear and yelled for him to get on his shoulders. Or, at least that’s what Tim thought he heard. No. Wait.

“ _What??_ ” He yelled back. Arsh rolled his eyes in response and got down in front him, his back to Tim’s feet. Tim’s eyes widened. No way Arsh was asking him to do what he thought he was asking him to do. _No way._

“10! 9!” The crowd chanted around them. _Fuck_ , was all Tim could think as he cautiously placed his legs over each of Arsh’s shoulders, one at a time. _Shit._

“5! 4!” The roaring surrounded them as he put his weight on Arsh, and he began to stand.  

_Oh my god. This is actually happening._

“2!”

_I can’t believe you, Arsh._

“1!”

From his new towering height, he could see and hear the thousands of people surrounding the Thames screaming around him.

**“** **_HAPPY NEW YEAR!!_ ** **”**

It was _deafening_.

He barely registered the sound of Big Ben ringing in the new year a few yards away, when his eyes immediately followed a succession of sparks flying to great heights.

In thunderous bursts of light, the clear night sky was coloured by blue, red, and white fireworks, exploding one after the other. They watched as each faded, only to allow the next to break the smoke forming from the dying hues.

Tim couldn’t tell if the drumming sensation in his body was because of the booming blasts above or his exhilarated heart pumping in his chest. Shape after shape of stars, twirls, and hearts all shattered into thousands of sparks. Row after row of smooth flares shot up in fantastical patterns, darting in every direction, and raining down like shooting stars.

The crowd oohed and aahed as the variety caught them by surprise. Some whirled in quick spirals as if they were alive, and others tumbled like violet waterfalls. The remnants shimmered through the night sky, glittering brighter than any stars Tim had ever seen. Whizzing colors danced in front of his eyes and he thought the incredible dazzling finale was the closest thing he would ever witness to a supernova.

His heart fluttered like the remaining cascade of silver light, and with a captivating smile, he looked down at Arsh, only to find Arsh was already looking up at him. Right then he knew that he’d never seen anything more beautiful, or felt anything quite so special.

He couldn’t have known Arsh was thinking the exact same thing.

**Author's Note:**

> **This fic is part of a larger series of fics I write as part of a fictional universe with characters from Marvel, DC, and my mind.**   
> (In this universe, Tim has an older brother named James who died, like, forever ago.)
> 
> I'd like to thank the academy, as well as my best friend @sharperobjects who sorta got me to debut my work on this crazy site. As she wisely said: "JUST DO IT *Shia Labeouf hand fist thing*" - #GradQuote2K16
> 
> title is from Beyoncé's XO, literally the first song that comes to mind for me when I think of fireworks


End file.
